Pacers draft pick T.J. Leaf "quiet, but a fierce competitor" — and his family has his back

Pacers President Kevin Pritchard speaks about the future of player Paul George, and the team's haul during the NBA draft, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Robert Scheer/IndyStar)
Bob Scheer/IndyStar

INDIANAPOLIS – As T.J. Leaf transitions to the NBA, he can count on his family's support.

His parents and an older brother attended Friday's news conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. And when the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick settles in Indiana, he won't come alone. His 26-year-old brother, Troy, will also move from California, living with his 20-year-old brother to assist him with the scrutiny and responsibility.

“I think it will help him to have me around,” said Troy, after his brother’s introduction to the local media. “These (NBA) guys are so young, and they get all these accolades, all these opportunities to make bad decisions. T.J. is my best friend, and I’ve always been his best friend. For me, it will be a full-time job, making sure he does what he needs to, both in the gym and off the court.”

This is a surreal time for the Leaf family, watching T.J. join the same organization that drafted his father, Brad, in 1982. The Pacers quickly released Brad in training camp before the first preseason game, but he had a successful 17-year career playing pro basketball in Israel. Now T.J. is taking the family’s basketball legacy further, as the Pacers’ first-round pick after one season at UCLA, expected to compete for playing time as a rookie on a team in transition.

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T.J. Leaf's family joined him Friday at Bankers Life — his older brother Troy, father Brad, and mother Karen.(Photo11: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar)

Leaf’s family can’t help him defend LeBron James or protect him from Twitter critics who believe he is the wrong choice for the Pacers. However, Leaf knows about pressure. UCLA’s touted freshman class was led by Lonzo Ball, the talented point guard who was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It was hype city at UCLA last year,” said Brad. “It was pretty crazy. (T.J.) is not going to be intimidated with media or anything like that.”

Leaf flourished in the UCLA spotlight, leading the team in scoring and helping the Bruins reach the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. If that’s how Leaf reacts to expectations again, the Pacers have themselves a player.

“He works out three times a day; he’s committed to winning,” said Pacers president Kevin Pritchard. “We feel like we got a top-10 pick in this kid, and when you’re picking 18, that’s pretty good. Whatever his ceiling is as a player, he’s going to get there.”

Some of Leaf’s tools as a player are obvious – his shooting ability, his versatility, his length. He is a 6-9 player with a rangy wingspan who can play multiple positions and finish above the rim.

So why the critics? Leaf is slender, and even the Pacers admit he needs work defensively. If Leaf doesn’t adjust to competing against stronger, more experienced players, he won’t have the impact the Pacers are hoping for.

Ask Leaf about the doubters, and he responds with confidence. He grew up as a basketball junky, getting constant pointers from Brad, a basketball lifer. An Indianapolis native, Brad starred at Lawrence North High School, played at the University of Evansville and coached T.J. at Foothills Christian in El Cajon, Calif.

Leaf said his father stressed the advantage of having a versatile game.

“You look at the NBA today, it’s tough to guard versatile players,” T.J. said. “The more you can do, the harder it is to guard, especially when you put together a team with five guys who can stretch the court. We have a guy like Myles Turner who can go inside-outside. That was very important to me growing up.”

It’s ironic that Leaf badly wanted the Pacers to draft him, when the team’s star player, Paul George, is making headlines for wanting to leave. Not only was Leaf’s father raised in Indianapolis, his mother, Karen, is from Evansville. Growing up, Leaf heard constantly about Indiana basketball. He was also heavily recruited by Indiana University, but ultimately decided on UCLA after originally committing to Arizona.

Asked when he first defeated his father one-on-one in basketball, Leaf said, “Technically, I never beat him. He quit before I was able to. I was in the eighth grade when he stopped playing me. I think I was up 7-5 and we were going to 11. He was like, ‘Oh man, I can’t breathe. I got to get some water.’’’

Brad admits he is biased about his son, but he expects T.J. to blossom in the NBA.

“There’s so much room for growth in his game,” Brad said. “He’s quiet, but he’s a fierce competitor. He’s one of these guys that’s really quiet, and you think that he’s kind of passive. He’s quiet, but he wants to destroy you.”

Brad said he was more nervous than T.J. watching the draft unfold Thursday, until the 18th pick when the Pacers ended the drama.

“Until you sit there and you have a son, it’s hard to explain,” Brad said. “It’s gut-wrenching, It’s exciting. What happens if they don’t take him at 18?

“He wanted to come here, and we wanted him to come here. As a player, you can choose your high school, and you can choose your college, but you can’t choose your NBA team. But he got all three.”’

Now Leaf hopes to reward the Pacers for picking him. His father only lasted a few weeks in the organization. T.J. will have a much longer stay.